5 Tips to Help Your Child Stop Thumb Sucking

Thumb sucking is already inherent in babies and this goes on until they age 6 months. This is a natural reflex for children, which happens when they are hungry, lonesome, scared, restless, and sleepy, but this will ultimately stop when they reach preschool age. However, there are children who kept this as a habit until they grow older which can cause teeth and speech problems as well as inferiority complex.

Here are five tips to help your child stop thumb sucking.

Remind the child about the bad things it will result to especially on misalignment of teeth and other negative effects;

Establish a reward system when he or she stops sucking their thumb for a day, then a week, until they forget the habit;

Apply something that will taste bad on their thumb to remind them of the bad effects of thumb sucking (explain first before doing it);

Engage your child in an activity to distract him or her from the habit like coloring, gardening, baking, helping with laundry and other table top activities;

Peer pressure is one strong motivator especially when it is their friends who would point it out to them;

If thumb sucking still persists, it is better to consult your developmental pediatrician on this matter and to seek professional help.